- 
develope the fprings of aétion. I have 
devoted confiderable attention to this fub- 
ject, and flatter myfelf that I have fele€ted 
a fund of materials which will not be 
found wholly uninterefting in a commer- 
cial and political point of view. 
The laws in this country breathe a 
fpirit of humanity ; and the inhabitants, 
in general, their private intereft out of the 
queftion, may be faid to be well-difpofed. 
An exception, however, muft be made 
with refpeét to the rich, overgrown mer- 
chants, who remember, with regret, the 
zra of the Britifh monarchy, and entertain 
a ftrong predilection for titles and other 
marks of diftinétion. By far the majority 
are favourable to the French; and in the 
laft eleétion for a mayor, and other, ma- 
giftrates, in Philadelphia, the choice fell 
upon the avowed partizans of the French 
Republic. . 
With refpe& to religion, every denomi- 
‘mation is tolerated: This renders the 
inhabitants tractable and gentle, as no re- 
ligious eftablifhment is exclufively proteé- 
ed by government; but, perhaps, there Is 
hardly a Chriftian country where lefs 
genuine piety isto be met with. Young 
people are regular in their attendance at 
church, becaufe they are well aware that, 
without a due regard to appearances, they 
could obtain no advantageous fituation, 
form no eligible matrimonial connections, 
or eftablifh themfelves with credit in life. 
Men of advanced years frequent church 
through habit, or to obtain the confidence 
of their refpeétive focieties, and fecure an 
influence in the direétion of their temporal 
concerns. A few pious fouls there are, 
who have no other view in their devotion 
than to commune with the Supreme, com- 
fort their fellow-creatures under afflic- 
tions, and inculcate the divine precepts of 
morality, by aétions and virtuous example, 
rather than by idie ceremony. 
In this country no tythes nor royalties 
are paid. Whilft fubjeéted to the Britith 
government, the United: States of Ame- 
rica refufed to admit the Catholics to any 
public office; but, fince their emancipa- 
ticn_trom the Britifh yoke, this unjuft law 
is abolifled; and men of every perfuafion 
are indifcriminately admitted to a partici- 
pation in ait the fun@lions of government. 
tatholics, of the Greek and Romifh 
church, Prefbyterians, Quakers, Turks, 
and Jews, are all equally eligible to public 
ficuations, and are at liberty to adore the 
Supreme, according to the dictates of their 
conicience. There are, likewife, a num- 
ber of S-paratifis and Seckers in the calo- 
nies, who belong to no particular feet, bus 
Account of the North American States. 
[ Jan. 
ptofefs to follow, as their fole guide, the - 
impulfe of confcience, without attaching 
themfelves to any individual fociety. 
Toleration in America is carried to afi 
extent greater than even in France. It 
is but Jately that a Prefbyterian church 
ele€&ted for their minifter a negro from 
Guinea, a man of exemplary charaéter, 
and of no contemptible abilities, who 
acquits himfelf with credit in his new 
vocation. I have frequently feen him 
officiate in his robes, and have heard him 
preach with great fatisfaétion ; and I make 
no doubt but he will prove an ufeful acqui- 
fition to his fociety. 
The population of the United States 
amounts to about five millions of isha- 
bitants, excluGive of the weftern fettle- 
ments, which are well peopled, and con- 
tain, at a moderate calculauion, 120.000 
perfens. But it muft be taken into conff- 
deration, that the fum total of inhabitants 
doubles every fourteen years, as has been 
clearly fubftantiated and afcertained by 
exact official dccuments: this gives amore 
rapid incredfe than Franklin has ftated. 
Agriculture and commerce forma, almok& 
without exception, the principal employ- 
ment of the inhabitants: and were it not 
that the rich merchants difcourage, by 
every poffible means, the progrefs and 
improvement of American manufactures, 
in order to monopolize the exclufive 
commerce with England, by which they 
accumulate immenfe fortunes mm a very 
fhort time, arts and manufaétures would 
be in a highly flourifhing ftate. The 
fingle branch of fhip-builcing employs, 
in this country, feveral thoufands of hands, 
At this very moment, when France pays 
after the rate of 300 livres per ton for vef- 
fels built of whole deal, and very moderate 
fclidity, the American fhipwright con- 
ftruéts his veffels of red cedar, or oak, 
which wood is of a far fuperior quality, 
and will laft double the time, than the 
timber made ufe of in Europe; yet, not- 
withftanding thefe advantages, and al- 
though the American veffels are built upon 
a better and more-folid conftruétion, they 
may be purchafed at the rate of 170 livres 
per ton,completely finithed, and ready for 
fea. If the French Reépublic fhould at 
any time ftand in need of 20,000 ton, in 
new veflels, the United States can furnifk 
them at the price above ftated, which, in 
time of peace, would fuftain a confider= 
able abatement. 
The annual exports of the United States, 
according to authentic documents, exceed 
twenty-fix millions of dollars, exclufive of 
what has not been entered at the yang a 
